This yearbook presents a series of articles on Canadian multicultural issues. In the first article, "Panem et Circenses? Ten Years of Multicultural Policy in Canada," Werner Stephan examines criticisms of Canadian multicultural policy and suggests the country has not found a satisfactory answer to what multiculturalism is or should be,…

This textbook is designed to teach the French used in West African nations. Thus, pronunciation and topics reflect standard usage in those countries. Chapters generally consist of several dialogues, grammar and cultural notes, and numerous pattern drills and other exercises. English translations for the dialogues are provided in the back of the…

This issue of "Cross Currents" includes the following articles: "More About Drama for the Classroom" by Richard A. Via; "Student-Created Media: One Approach to ESL Instruction" by Kathy Campbell; "Some Advice for Japanese Students Learning English" by Yoshi-Mitsu Shimazu; "Patterns of Oral Communication…

Teaching French can be a rewarding experience, yet this has not always been the case in Canada, where French is one of the official languages. There is a general misunderstanding of the average child's life at school and of the time and effort needed to develop any control of a second language. Departments of Education, publishers, politicians,…

Recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (33rd ordinary session) concerning minority languages and dialects in Western Europe are outlined. One recommendation is that governments adopt the policies of educating preschool children in their own dialects and of bilingual instruction from primary through higher education.…

This booklet posits that language teacher education is an important component of nation building in a multilingual community. Communication is a crucial component of nation building, and teachers play a key role in the creation, renewal, and re-negotiation of the nation and its bonds, the state and its resources. This booklet discusses the…

During colonial times, education in Africa was based on the European system of education, and the European languages remained the only languages taught in schools. These languages were often taught by poorly trained teachers who passed their errors on to students. Major policy revisions and modifications in language education, teacher training,…

This paper presents a discussion of multicultural policies in Canada, implications for teachers and schools, multicultural resources, and heritage language education. A case study of an elementary school in North York, a borough of metropolitan Toronto (Ontario, Canada), illustrates the positive effects that can accrue when a multicultural…

A survey of the status of language usage in Ghana begins with an overview of the distribution and usage of English, as the sole official language, and of the local languages Akan, Ewe, Adangme, Dagbani, Nzema, Ga, Dagaari, and Hausa. A matrix follows that rates these languages on: (1) their usage rating using State Department classifications; (2)…

A survey of the status of language usage in Ethiopia begins with an overview of the distribution of Amharic, the sole official language and medium of elementary instruction, and Tigrinya, Oromo, Wolayto, Somali, Sidamo, Hadiyya, and English, the medium of secondary and higher education instruction. The relationship of language usage patterns to…

A survey of the status of language usage in Algeria begins with an overview of the usage patterns of Arabic, the Berber languages, and French. The country's return to Arabic as its official language after independence from France in 1962 is discussed along with the resultant language planning, issues of language of instruction at the elementary,…

A survey of the status of language usage in Malawi begins with an overview of the distribution and usage of English (the official language) and the native Bantu languages: Chichewa or Nyanja (Chinyanja), the language used by half the population; and three other Bantu languages also used there--Lomwe, Yao, and Tumbuka. The social situation favoring…

A survey of the status of language usage in Angola begins with an overview of the usage and distribution of Portuguese as the official language, and the four most significant native languages and dialects spoken there: Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, and Lunda-Chokwe. The introduction of Spanish through Cuban trainers, teachers, and military advisors…

A survey is presented of the status and usage patterns of the lingua francas--common languages used as a medium of communication between ethnically and linguistically diverse peoples--of the African continent. The survey gives an overview of the general language situation and briefly describes the major languages: Swahili, Hausa, Fufulde,…

A survey of the status of language usage in Yugoslavia begins with an overview of the distribution of Serbo-Croatian, Croato-Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Albanian, and Hungarian, noting the status of all languages spoken there as nationality languages and as official languages in their speakers' republics. The equality of languages and cultures,…